There are numerous applications that require the separation of material, for example particulate or other matter in suspension. One common approach is to employ a centrifuge to separate relatively heavier material from relatively light material. Centrifuges typical include a container to hold the material, a drive system including a motor and transmission or linkage coupled to rotate the container about a fixed axis of rotation. The material in the container separates based on density under centripetal acceleration, with denser or heavier material tending to collect at a perimeter relatively away from the axis of rotation and with the less dense or lighter material tending to collect relatively closer to the axis of rotation.
Centrifuges may be used on a large variety of material from particulates, to fluids, to gases, and combinations of the same. Centrifuges are often used to separate biological material, for example in preparing samples for analysis of the composition of specific biological materials, such as proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids either individually or as complexes. A centrifuge may be used to isolate certain organelles-nuclei, mitochondria, lysosomes, chloroplasts, and/or endoplasmic reticulum.
Lysis of biological material, for example cell lysis, is used to analyze the composition of specific biological materials, for example proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids either individually or as complexes. If a cell membrane is lysed then certain organelles-nuclei, mitochondria, lysosmes, chloroplasts, and/or endoplasmic reticulum may be isolated. Such may be analyzed using PCR, electron microscopy, Western blotting or other analysis techniques.
There are numerous approaches to performing lysis. For example, enzymatic approaches may be employed to remove cell walls using appropriate enzymes, in preparation to cell disruption or to prepare protoplasts. Another approach employs detergents to physically disrupt cell membranes. These chemical approaches may adversely affect the resulting product, for example degrading the bio-products being released. Consequently, chemical approaches may, in some instances, not be practical.
Yet another approach employs ultrasound to produce cavitation and impaction for disrupting the cells. Such an approach may not achieve as high a lysis efficiency as may be required or desired for many applications.
Yet still another approach employs beads (e.g., glass or ceramic) which are agitated, for example, via a vortex mixer. Such an approach successfully addresses the issues raised by chemical lysis approaches, yet improvements in such an approach are desirable.